Abnormal brain growth leads to obesity?

CynthiasChoice
CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I got an email (ad) from Lumosity today that quoted a 2012 study from Nature Neuroscience that linked high fat diets to neurogenesis and obesity in mice. No, we're not mice, and no I'm not promoting Lumosity brain games, but I found this study intriguing.

This is a quote from the Lumosity ad:

"The study put mice into two groups: those fed a normal diet and those who feasted regularly on high fat foods. After 1 month of chowing down, adult mice on high fat diets had quadruple the rate of new brain cell growth in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain responsible for regulating many metabolic processes.
But did neurogenesis also cause obesity? To answer this question, researchers irradiated the newly created portions of mice brains. Not only did radiation inhibit 85% of neurogenesis, but irradiated mice gained significantly less weight and fat mass compared to the group that kept their new neural growth—even though all of them stayed on the same high fat diet. Furthermore, irradiated mice used more energy and were more active despite their unhealthy diet.

Fighting obesity: current methods:
The link between diet, obesity, and the brain is thought-provoking. But take it with a grain of salt: the connection has yet to be confirmed in humans. As we wait for more research, consider some current methods that could help change your eating habits.
Many scientists have pointed out that obesity often functions like an addiction to food in the brain. And a 2012 study from the University of Amsterdam found that challenging cognitive training lowered addiction symptoms..." blah, blah try Lumosity...

I have many questions about this study's accuracy and value, but...what if years of a high fat diet really does change the structure and the function of the brain? Yikes! Do I really have a physical hurdle in addition to learning new habits and new coping mechanisms?

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